Hill blue-flycatcher

Cyornis banyumas

Photo by P. Supat (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
hill blue-flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-das-colinas (pt); gobemouche des collines (fr); papamoscas de Banyumas (es); bergblauschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in south-east Asia, from the eastern Himalayas in north-eastern India, through southern China and Myanmar, and into northern Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Java.

Size:
These birds are 14-15,5 cm long and weigh 14-17 g.

Habitat:
The hill blue-flycatcher is mostly in dense, moist tropical forests, both in lowland and mountainous areas. They also use bamboo thickets, moist scrublands, rural gardens and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed on various small arthropods, mainly flies, beetles and cockroaches.

Breeding:
Hill blue-flycatchers can breed all year round, but mainly in March-July. The nest is an untidy cup made of moss and fine plant fibres, placed low in the forest understory. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as rare in the Himalayas, but common to locally common throughout south-east Asia and very common in Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Ultramarine flycatcher

Ficedula superciliaris

Photo by Michael Gillam (Flickr)

Common name:
ultramarine flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-azul-ultramarino (pt); gobemouche ultramarin (fr); papamoscas ultramarino (es); brauenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds from eastern Afghanistan, through the Himalayas mountain range and into southern China. They migrate south to winter in southern China, Myanmar, northern Thailand and central and north-eastern India.

Size:
These birds are 11,5-12 cm long and weigh 8 g.

Habitat:
The ultramarine flycatcher breed mainly in mountain broadleaved forests, also using pine forests, at altitudes of 1.800-3.200 m. Outside the breeding season they use both moist and dry tropical forests, dry savannas and man-made habitats such as plantations, arable land, rural gardens and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed mainly on insects, such as flies and beetles.

Breeding:
Ultramarine flycatchers breed in April-July. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup made of moss, bark strips and grass, lined with hairs, rootlets and plant fibres, and placed in a tree hole, depression on a bank or in a nest box up to 7 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 olive greenish to dull stone-buff eggs with reddish-brown freckles. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common and widespread to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Kashmir flycatcher

Ficedula subrubra

Photo by Juhasz Tibor (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Kashmir flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-Caxemira (pt); gobemouche du Cachemire (fr); papamoscas de Cachemira (es); Kaschmir-fliegenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in the Kashmir region, in the north-western Himalayas, particularly in the Neelum Valley and Kaz-i-nag range in Pakistan, and in the Pir Panjal range in India. They migrate south to winter mainly in Sri Lanka and also in the southern Western Ghats, in southern India.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 9-12 g.

Habitat:
The Kashmir flycatcher breeds in mixed deciduous forests with dense understorey, particularly hazel Corylus, walnut Albizia, cherry Prunus, willow Salix and Perrottetia, at altitudes of 1.800-2.700 m. Outside the breeding season they also use moist tropical forests, plantations and rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed mainly on flying insects, taken by sallying out from a low perch, but also hunt prey on the ground.

Breeding:
Kashmir flycatchers breed in May-July and are presumed to be monogamous. They nest in an untidy cup made of dried leaves, grasses and moss, and lined with hairs, bark shavings and feathers. Nests are placed in natural tree hollows or old woodpecker nests, mainly in Perrottetia or willow trees, and usually 2-12 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 eggs which she incubates alone, but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
The Kashmir flycatcher has a relatively small breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1.500-7.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate as a result of habitat degradation and loss in both the wintering and breeding grounds due to commercial timber extraction, conversion of land for agriculture, livestock-grazing which substantially alters forest understorey structure and composition, and tree-lopping for animal fodder, fuel wood and construction materials.

White-bellied redstart

Hodgsonius phaenicuroides

Photo by Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok (Ayuwat)

Common name:
white-bellied redstart (en); rabirruivo-de-barriga-branca (pt); bradybate à queue rouge (fr); colirrojo ventriblanco (es); kurzflügel-rotschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in the Himalayas and from central and southern China south to yanmar, northern Thailand, northern Laos and northern Vietnam. The population that breed at higher altitudes in the Himalayas migrate south to winter in north-eastern India.

Size:
These birds are 18-19 cm long and weigh 22-25 g.

Habitat:
The white-bellied redstart is mostly found in the transition between open scrublands and closed forests, using moist tropical forests, temperate forests, moist scrublands, high-altitude scrublands, dry grasslands and arable land. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 4.300 m.

Diet:
They forage mainly on the ground, taking mostly insects but also some berries and other vegetable material.

Breeding:
White-bellied redstarts breed in May-September. The nest is a deep, bulky cup made of grass, dead leaves, roots and stems, lined with finer grass, hair and feathers. It is hidden in a dense scrub, up to 1,5 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 dark blue-green eggs, which she incubates alone for 10-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread and fairly common in the Himalayas and rare to uncommon in Myanmar, northern Laos and northern Vietnam. In China, which represents a large proportion of the white-bellied redstart breeding range, the population is estimated to be below 100.000 breeding pairs. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Eyebrowed jungle-flycatcher

Rhinomyias gularis

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
eyebrowed jungle-flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-bridão (pt); gobemouche bridé (fr); papamoscas embridado (es); weißbrauen-dschungelschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Borneo, being found in the northern mountains of the island, along the borders between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 15-20 g.

Habitat:
The eyebrowed jungle-flycatcher is found in mountain rainforests, at altitudes of 900-3.300 m.

Diet:
They mostly forage alone or in small groups, occasionally joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They take small insects and seeds.

Breeding:
Eyebrowed jungle-flycatchers breed in January-April. The nest is an untidy cup or ball made of small sticks, moss and leaves, usually placed on an epiphyte or spiny palm. There is no further information on the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as fairly common or locally common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Collared palm-thrush

Cichladusa arquata

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
collared palm-thrush (en); tordo-das-palmeiras-de-colar (pt); cichladuse à collier (fr); zorzal-palmero acollarado (es); morgenrötel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found from south-eastern D.R. Congo, northern Tanzania and south-eastern Kenya, through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique and into north-eastern South Africa, northern Botswana and south-eastern Angola.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 28-38 g.

Habitat:
The collared palm-thrush is mostly found in dry tropical forests and scrublands with palm trees, such as such as Pheonix, Borassus and Hyphaene, most often near water. They also use dry savannas, plantations and rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed mainly on insects and other arthropods, such as bugs, beetles, grasshoppers, cockroaches, earwigs, termites, ants and centipedes. They also take small frogs.

Breeding:
Collared palm-thrushes breed in October-May. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of
a semi-circular or truncated cone-shaped structure, made of mud and grass roots, and lined with finer grass or fibres stripped from palm leaves. It is typically attached to a hanging palm leaf, or at the point where the palm frond connects to the trunk, or sometimes on dragon trees Dracaena or even on buildings. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as rather local and confined to its specific habitat, although often common within that habitat. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Boulder chat

Pinarornis plumosus

Photo by Adam Riley (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
boulder chat (en); chasco-das-rochas (pt); rochassier des éboulis (fr); zorzal roquero (es); steindroßling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe, marginally into western Mozambique and north to south-eastern Zambia and southern Malawi.

Size:
These birds are 23-27 cm long and weigh around 65 g.

Habitat:
The boulder chat is found in well-wooded granite outcrops, and hills with scattered granite boulders mixed with open savanna.

Diet:
They feed on insects and small lizards, which are mainly taken from the ground. They can also hawk termite alates using aerial sallies.

Breeding:
Boulder chats breed in September-January. The nest is a cup made of bark, leaves and twigs, set into a foundation of earth clods and lined with leaf petioles. It is typically placed underneath a boulder, in a cavity between two rocks or next to a log. The female lays 2-4 greenish-white eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which are incubated for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest 16-20 days after hatching, before they can fly, after which they hide under boulders until they fledge. They may still remain dependent on their parents until the following breeding season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as generally frequent to common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Collared flycatcher

Ficedula albicollis

Photo by Andrej Chudy (Flickr)

Common name:
collared flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-colar (pt); gobemouche à collier (fr); papamoscas collarino (es); halsbandschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in eastern Europe, as far west as north-eastern France and Italy, as far north as Lithuania and Belarus, and south to Bulgaria and east into near Russia as far as the Volga river. They migrate south to winter from southern Kenya and Uganda to Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 22-124 cm. They weigh 10,5-16 g.

Habitat:
The collared flycatchers breeds mainly in temperate forests, favouring open forests and forest edges, but also use rural gardens, plantations, arable land and urban areas. They winter in dry savannas.

Diet:
During the breeding season they feed mainly on caterpillars, but also take other arthropods such as butterflies and moths, ants, and beetles. They hunt either by sallying out from a perch or by picking their prey from the foliage or the ground.

Breeding:
Collared flycatchers are mostly monogamous and breed in April-July. They nest in a natural or artificial hole in a tree, wall, or building, up to 15 m above the ground. There the female lays 5-7 eggs which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 4,2-7,2 million individuals. Data from 21 European countries indicate the population has undergone a moderate increase over the last 3 decades.

Seychelles magpie-robin

Copsychus sechellarum

Photo by Philip Perry (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Seychelles magpie-robin (en); pisco-das-Seychelles (pt); shama de Seychelles (fr); shama de Seychelles (es); Seychellendajal (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Seychelles archipelago and was originally present in at least 8 islands, but by the 1960s it became restricted to the island of Frégate. Since then the species has been reintroduced to the islands of Aride, Cousin, Cousine and Denis.

Size:
These birds are 18-25 cm long and weigh 60-80 g.

Habitat:
The Seychelles magpie-robin was originally found in mature coastal rainforest but today uses mature woodlands on central plateaus, plantations and vegetable gardens. They prefer areas with a tall, closed canopy with sparse understorey and ground vegetation but abundant leaf litter.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, among the forest leaf litter, mainly taking soil invertebrates, particularly cockroaches but also other insects, worms, centipedes and millipedes. They also take fruits, fish dropped by tree-nesting terns, skinks and geckos, eggs and human food scraps.

Breeding:
These birds can breed all year round, especially in periods with higher rainfall. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of a simple cup made of dry grasses and coconut fibres, placed in the crown of a coconut tree or on a hole in a large tree. The female lays a single eggs which she incubates alone for 17-22 days while the male guards the nest from predators. The chick is fed by both parents and fledges 18-20 days after hatching, becoming fully independent about 11 weeks later. They reach sexual maturity at 1 years of age and each pair raises a single chick per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has an extremely small breeding range and the global population is estimated at just 120 individuals. By 1965 only 12-15 Seychelles magpie-robins survived on the island of Frégate having declined mainly due to predation by introduced cats and, to a lesser extent, predation by introduced rats and habitat destruction. Cats were eradicated from Frégate in the 1980s and since the 1990s individuals have been translocated to several predator-free islands, leading to a small recovery in numbers. Further threats include changes in agricultural practices and introduction of exotic plants, as well as future sea level rise.

Rufous-tailed scrub-robin

Cercotrichas galactotes

Photo by Yoram Shpirer (Oiseaux)

Common name:
rufous-tailed scrub-robin (en); rouxinol-do-mato (pt); agrobate roux (fr); alzacola (es); heckensänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in southern Europe, in the southern Iberian Peninsula, and from the Balkans to Turkey, also in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt, and in western Asia, through the Middle East and into Pakistan and Kazakhstan. They migrate south to winter along the Sahel belt and through Ethiopia down to Kenya and northern Tanzania. Some populations in the Sahel are resident.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 22-27 cm. They weigh 18-26 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-tailed scrub-robin is mostly found in dry scrublands, especially along seasonal creeks and streams, but also use dry savannas and grasslands, dry tropical forests, plantations, arable land, rural gardens and even urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt insects and earthworms, but also other invertebrates. Their prey includes ants, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and butterflies.

Breeding:
Rufous-tailed scrub-robins breed in May-July. The female is mostly responsible for building the nest, a loose structure made of fine twigs, grasses, roots and plant fibres, and lined with plant down, wool, hair and feathers. It is placed in a thick scrub or small tree, usually within 1 m of the ground. The female lays 3-6 pale greenish or greyish-white eggs with greyish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 196.000-1.150.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Swynnerton's robin

Swynnertonia swynnertoni

Photo by Francois du Plessis (Outdoor Photo)

Common name:
Swynnerton's robin (en); pisco-de-peitilho (pt); rougegorge de Swynnerton (fr); ruiseñor de Swynnerton (es); swynnertonrötel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This African species is is restricted to a few mountains in eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania, namely at Chirinda and a few other tiny forest patches along the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in Mount Gorongosa and Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique, and in the Udzungwa Mountains and the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14-20 g.

Habitat:
The Swynnerton's robn is mostly found in the understorey of mountain rainforests, also using lowland rainforests in Tanzania. They prefer dense undergrowth with a high density of saplings, or rank growth near streams. This species is present at altitudes of 150-1.850 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on beetles, namely Buprestidae, Carabidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae and Scarabidae, but also take flies, wasps, bees, ants, spiders, millipedes and small frogs. fruits are also taken sometimes. They often catch prey fleeing from swarms of African driver ants Anomma wilverthi.

Breeding:
These birds breed in October-December. The nest is an open cup made of dead leaves, tendrils, rootlets, moss and leaf midribs, lined with dark plant fibres, and typically placed at the base of a dragon-tree Dracaena leaf, in a hollow of a tree stump, a forked stem of a scrub or on a platform formed by interlaced liana stems, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 blue-green eggs with brown spots and blotches, which she incubates alone for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively small and very patchy breeding range. The global population is estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals and is suspected to be declining, owing primarily to habitat clearance, degradation and disturbance across its range. The main causes for habitat loss and degradations are pole-cutting, firewood-collection, cultivation, clearance for new settlements, illegal pit-saw logging, gold mining, spread of non-native plants and uncontrolled fires. Conservation actions include protection areas, forest restoration and creation of corridors to link existing forest patches.

White-crowned forktail

Enicurus leschenaulti

Photo by Myron Tai (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
white-crowned forktail (en); rabo-de-tesoura-de-coroa-branca (pt); énicure de Leschenault (fr); torrentero coroniblanco (es); weißscheitel-scherenschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in from central and southern China, through extreme north-eastern India and Indochina and into the Indonesian islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.

Size:
These bird are 28 cm long and weigh 30-52 g.

Habitat:
The white-crowned forktail is mostly found along rivers and streams in moist tropical forests, also using moist scrublands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on aquatic insects and their larvae.

Breeding:
White-crowned forktails breed in April-June. The nest is made of moss, leaves and rootlets, and placed on the ground among rocks, tree roots or in overgrown banks. The female lays 3-4 cream-coloured eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which are incubated for 17-19 days. The chicks fledge 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally common, although uncommon in Sumatra and in parts of Borneo. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

European robin

Erithacus rubecula

Photo by Olivier Baudoux (Nunda Foto)

Common name:
European robin (en); pisco-de-peito-ruivo (pt); rouge-gorge familier (fr); petirrojo europeo (es); rotkehlchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found throughout Europe, with the exception if Iceland and the northernmost parts of Scandinavia and Russia. Also in North Africa, along the Mediterranean coast from Morocco to Egypt and in the Middle East from Israel and Syria, through Iraq and into western Iran.

Size:
These birds are 12,5-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-22 cm. They weigh 16-22 g.

Habitat:
The European robin is found in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, scrublands and forests in temperate and boreal areas, pastures, plantations, arable land, rural gardens and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on various invertebrates, such as earthworms, spiders and insects, as well as soft fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
European robins breed in March-August. The cup-shaped nest is made of dead leaves and moss with a lining of hair, and placed in virtually any depression or hole such as crevices, sheltered banks, among ivy, or in unusual spots like old teapots, jacket pockets, shelves in buildings, barbecues, bicycle handlebars, bristles on upturned brooms, discarded kettles, watering cans, flower pots and even hats. The female lays 4-6 cream-coloured, white or faintly bluish eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by the female and fledge about 14 days after hacthing. Each pair usually raises 2-3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 137-332 million individuals. Data from 21 European countries indicate the population has a stable trend and there are no evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-tailed rubythroat

Luscinia pectoralis

Photo by Aurélien Audevard (Mango Verde)

Common name:
white-tailed rubythroat (en); rouxinol-de-garganta-vermelha (pt); rossignol à gorge rubis (fr); ruiseñor pechinegro (es); bergrubinkehlchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found from central China, and along the Himalayas through Nepal, extreme north-western India and northern Pakistan and into north-eastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and south-eastern Kazakhstan.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and weigh 19-26 g.

Habitat:
The white-tailed rubythroat is found in scrublands, grasslands, open woodlands and plantations. During the breeding season they are present at higher altitudes, moving to lower altitudes during winter.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, mostly taking caterpillars.

Breeding:
White-tailed rubythroats breed in June-September, nesting in a loose cup placed in a dense scrub or grass tussock. There the female lays 4-6 eggs which she mostly incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally common, although uncommon in the Tien Shan and Pamir Alai mountains and very common in northern Pakistan. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Large niltava

Niltava grandis

Photo by Michael Gillam (Flickr)

Common name:
large niltava (en); papa-moscas-grande (pt); grand gobemouche (fr); papamoscas grande (es); kobaltblauschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found from Nepal and extreme north-eastern India, through Myanmar and Laos and into Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Also marginally into southern China.

Size:
These birds are 21 cm long and weigh 30 g.

Habitat:
The large niltava is mostly found in dense, moist tropical forests, but also use rural gardens. They are present at altitude of 600-2.700 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other invertebrates, as well as berries.

Breeding:
Large niltavas nest in a cup made of moss and fine plant fibres. The nest is placed among boulders, tree hollows or holes in dead tree stumps. The female lays 2-5 creamy-white eggs, which she incubates alone for 15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally uncommon to fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

European pied flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

(Photo from Red Book)

Common name:
European pied flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-preto (pt); gobemouche noir (fr); papamoscas cerrojillo (es); trauerschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found breeding throughout central and northern Europe, from France to northern Scandinavia and east to near Russia and northern Kazakhstan. There are also breeding populations in Spain, Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia. They migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Gabon and northern D.R. Congo.

Size:
These birds are 12-13,5 cm long and have a wingspan of 22 cm. They weigh 14-15 g.

Habitat:
The European pied flycatcher breeds mainly in open, mixed deciduous forests, especially in mature oak woodlands, but also in plantations, arable land, rural gardens and in gardens and parks within urban areas. Outside the breeding season they are also found in moist tropical forests, dry savannas and dry scrublands.

Diet:
They hunt insects by either sallying out from a perch or gleaning the foliage. Among their prey are beetles, caterpillars, ants, flies, bees, wasps, moths and also spiders.

Breeding:
European pied flycatcher breed in May-July. They can be either monogamous or polygynous and nest in a tree hole, or often on a nest box, up to 15 m above the ground. The female lays 6-8 greenish-blue eggs, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 38-80 million individuals. The population has undergone a moderate decline over the last 3 decades, but it is not threatened at present.

Southern black flycatcher

Melaenornis pammelaina

Photo by Alan Manson (Wikipedia)

Common name:
southern black flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-preto-meridional (pt); gobemouche sud-africain (fr); papamoscas sudafricano (es); glanzdrongoschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This African species is found from Congo, southern D.R. Congo and Kenya south to northern Namibia, Botswana and eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh 30 g.

Habitat:
The southern black flycatcher is mostly found in dry savannas, especially miombo, mopane and acacia, but also in dry scrublands, riparian woodlands, rural gardens, along the edges of plantations and in arable land.

Diet:
They feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates such as termites, beetles, locusts, spiders, centipedes and worms. They are also know to eat some nectar and berries.

Breeding:
These birds breed in May-January. The nest is a shallow, thin-walled cup usually built of twigs, dry grass and other plant material, and lined with fine rootlets. It is typically placed in a tree hollow, but also on human structures, creeper tangles, banana bunches and palm sheaths. The female lays 1-4 eggs which she probably incubates alone for 13-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-20 day after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally uncommon to locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Pied bushchat

Saxicola caprata

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pied bushchat (en); cartaxo-malhado (pt), tarier pie (fr); tarabilla pálida (es); mohrenschwarzkehlchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This Asian species is found from southern Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and eastern Iran, through Pakistan, India and Nepal, and into southern China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-23 cm. They weigh 13-17 g.

Habitat:
The pied bushchat is found in a wide range of habitats, including various types of scrublands, dry savannas, grasslands, marshes and swamps, river margins, plantations, rural gardens and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, hunting insects from a perch. Their prey includes moths and whiteflies.

Breeding:
These birds breed in February-August. They nest in a hole in a wall, which is lined with dry grass. The female lays 2-6 eggs which she mostly incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to locally abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Silverbird

Empidornis semipartitus

Photo by Jacek Nalepa (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
silverbird (en); papa-moscas-prateado (pt); gobemouche argenté (fr); papamoscas plateado (es); silberschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa from southern Sudan and Ethiopia, through South Sudan and Uganda and into western Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long.

Habitat:
Silverbirds are mostly found in semi-arid Acacia savannas, but also in dry scrublands and grasslands, as well as rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed on small insects, caterpillars and spiders, as well as some seeds and grain.

Breeding:
Silverbirds are probably monogamous and both sexes help incubate and feed the young. Clutch size is 2-3 eggs but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as locally common to abundant although scarce at the northern limit of its range in Sudan and Ethiopia. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Daurian redstart

Phoenicurus auroreus

Photo by Mathew Poll (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Daurian redstart (en); rabirruivo-dáurico (pt); rougequeue aurore (fr); colirrojo dáurico (es); spiegelrotschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in south-eastern Russia, eastern Mongolia, Korea and north-eastern and central China. They migrate south or east to winter in Japan, southern China, extreme north-eastern India, Myanmar and northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 11-20 g.

Habitat:
The Daurian redstart is found in sparse, open sub-alpine forests and forest edges, forest clearings, scrublands, riverine thickets, orchards, parks and gardens. It can also be seen near human settlements. They mostly breed at altitudes of 2.500-3.700 m but can be found and lower altitudes outside the breeding season.

Diet:
They feed on arthropods, berries and seeds. Spiders and caterpillars are the main prey during the breeding season, while berries and seeds are more important during the rest of the year.

Breeding:
Daurian redstarts are monogamous and territorial. They breed in April-August and nest in a hole on the ground, on a tree, rock, wall, bank or cliff, or even on old buildings, up to 1,5 m above the ground. The nest cup is made of straw, bark, moss and rootlets, and lined with soft grass, hair and feathers. There the female lays 3-6 eggs that can be pinkish, whitish, pale greenish or pale blue with brown markings. The eggs are incubated for 16-18 days and the chicks fledge 2 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common in most of its breeding range, although rare on the northern edge of its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.